Textile-stretching device



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. W0. MAGKINNEY.

TEXTILE STRETGHING DEVICE.

Patented Nov. 26,1895.

Inventor.

s e S s e n n AN DREW BYGRAHAM. FHOTD-UTHQWASHINGTON 0.0

(No Model.) ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. G. MAGKINNEY.

TEXTILE STRETGHING DEVICE.

Inventor.

Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

Attorney.

AN DR EW BGRAHAM, PHOTO-L'HIQWASH IN GTO). 01C.

'to being placed upon the market.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC IVILLIAM C. MAOKINNEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE II. IV. BUTTERWORTH & SONS COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,394, dated November 26, 1895. Application filed September 20, 1893. Serial No. 485,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. MAoKIN- NEY, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Textile-Stretching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to textilestretching devices; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

This improvement is especially designed for textile machinery wherein it becomes necessary to bring the fabric to a given width prior Fabrics after leaving the loomand being subjected to bleaching, washing, drying, printing, or other operations for finishing frequently change the width by shrinkages and otherwise, so that it is not of the same width throughout the entire length and in many places falling within the width required by the manufacturer and the trade. I

The object of my invention is to produce a machine which shall'have the capacity for stretching fabrics so as to bring them to a regular and proper width prior to being packed ready for shipment, so that the width of the fabric throughout its entire length is substantially uniform.

My improved machine is particularly adapted to combinationwith drying-machines, calenders, and other finishing-machines, so that the fabric is stretchedwhile in the moist or dampened condition just prior to being run upon the drying-cylinders or other machines whereby it is properly dried and finished at the requisite width, and after which it will retain the said width.

In carrying out my improvement I provide two wheels, drums, or supports provided on their periphery with suitable clamps or means to hold the edges of the fabric, which wheels, drums, or supports may be set'ata slight angle to each other, the said clamps or other devices being adapted to clamp or hold the edges of the fabric to the peripheries of the drums, wheels, or supports, and while they are turning cause the said fabric to be stretched. The wheels, drums, or supports are carried in suitable bearings which will permit of their adjustment and they are, driven at the same speed, which speed shall also be commensurate with that of the drying-cylinders or other receiving apparatus which takes theteXtile material from the stretchers.

In my preferred construction of apparatus I provide the wheels or drums with suitable adjusting devices whereby they may be set at various angles and at various widths apart to suit different widths of fabric and also different degrees of stretching which may be required.

The essential feature of my invention consists in providing revolving surfaces with a series of adjacent clamps or devices which shall hold the fabric firmly to the revolving surfaces while said clamps or devices of the two surfaces gradually recede from each other. The clamps are preferably opened an d closed automatically, so as to receive and clamp the fabric at the proper instant and also to release it at the proper time.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a drying machine combined with my improved stretching devices. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved stretching device. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of same on line x 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the clamps. Fig. 5 is an enlarged View of a portion of the periphery of one of the stretching-wheels of Fig. 3, showing a construction of the clamps. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modification of my invention, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the cams or openers for operating the clamps. e v

A represents a drier of any suitable constructionand usually consisting of a series of heated drums, over which the fabric is required to pass and by which it is dried. These drums are usually geared together by gears D.

B represents my improved stretching device and is driven preferably by gear 0, meshing with one of the gears D of the drier. It may be driven by-any other suitable devices; but its speed must be commensurate with that of the apparatus which receives the. fabric from the stretching device.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 2 to 5, E represents a base-plate, upon which are mounted two standards I, in which a shaft II is journaled.

F F are two pedestals pivoted at f in slots 6 to bearings adjustable in the base-plate.

that the clamping edge of the movable part These pedestals may thus be adjusted about their pivots f to change their angles, and also adapted to be moved to or from each other to vary their distance apart, the latter movement being'jaccomplished by the shaft G, having right and left hand screw-threads engagin g with the pivoted bearings f and adapted 1 v slipping from under the nipper or clamp.

to be operated by hand-wheels g. In place of these devices any other suitable mechanism may be employed. After adjusting the pedestals F F to the requisite distance apart they maybe fixed in the proper angles by means of clamping-bolts m, passing through 1 given portion of a revolution of the wheels J I during the stretching operation, and then to i open them again automatically to permit the fabric to be released, so that it may pass on to the drying-cylinders or other machines.

curved slots M in the pedestal and rectanguslots M in the base plate. (Best shown in Fig. 2.)

Journaled in the pedestals F F are bearings K, and to these bearings are secured in any suitable manner the stretching wheels, I

' of the fabric into the nippers or clamps shall i be done by hand, as the irregularity in the width requires some adjustment on the part drums, or supports J. The bearings K are tubular in form, and the shaft II passes freely through them. Upon the shaft H and adapted to slide through, but positively rotated there with by means of the key or feather h, are hubs L, which are provided with radial pins or projections Z, fitting into oblong holes in j the bearings K. In this manner any adjust ment of the pedestals F F toward or from each other causes thehubs L to be moved with the bearings K and wheels or supports J. The bearings and the wheels or supports J J may be adjusted at an angle with the shaft H and at the same time maintain a positive connection to insure the rotation of said bearings with their wheels or supports by the shaft. cate the nature of this angular adjustment; but it is exaggerated greatly in the said dotted lines to more clearly indicate the object. In practice but a small adjustment is necessary, as the diameter of the wheels J J will insure a decided stretching operation with but very slight angular adjustment of the pedestalsF F. The gear-wheel C, before referred to as connecting with the gearing D of the drying apparatus, is secured to the shaft II. In Fig. 3 this gear-wheel is shown similar to Fig. 1, while in Fig. 2 it is shown simply in the form that might be termed a sprocket-wheel, so that a sprocket-chain could be employed to drive the shaft H at the requisite speed by a connection with any suitable power device. The means for imparting motion to the shaft are unimportant and may be varied.

N represents a series of clamps arranged about the periphery of the wheels or supports J J, which clamps are adapted to engage a brass rim j, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. Each of these clamps consists of a pivoted part N, pivoted to a stationary part N secured to one of the wheels J and is provided j ings I are dispensed with. I to and from each other of the wheels or supports J J may be accomplished in this modification in the same manner as in Figs. 2 and I 3.

j fabiic are placed. are not necessary.

with a wheel or roller N for operating it. A spring a is employed to hold the clamp or nipper N down upon the surfacej with suflicient force to retain the fabric during the stretching operation.

It will be observed by examining Fig. 5

or nipper N where it comes in contact with the plate j is to the right of the pivot fulcrum point of the said nipper, so that as the fabric pulls to the right it will tend to cause the nipper or clamp to hold it more tightly, thus preventing any possibility of the fabric Secured to each side of the pedestals F are cams P, which are adapted to act upon the rollers N in such a manner as to open them at a given point to permit the insertion of the edge of the fabric, then to release them fora In practice it is advisable that the feeding of the operator.-

It will be observed that if the wheels J are set at a slight angle the moist or dampened fabric may be placed. within the clamps in a loose condition, and as the said wheels rotate the said fabric will be stretched toits maximum width and then released and properly delivered, under which conditions there is little or no liability of further shrinkage or 1 reduction in width.-

It will be understood that the operation of feeding the-fabric, stretching it, and deliver- 7 ing it is continuous. The dotted lines 10 w in Fig. 2 indithe stretching wheels, cylinders, or supports In the modification shown in Fig. 0 each of J is directly secured upon a short shaft H, carried in the pedestal F, the said. shaft corresponding to an expansion of the bearing K.

Each of the said shafts is provided with a driving-gear or sprocket-wheel G. In this manner the wheels J may be adjusted to dif- I ferent angles, as required in the construction before described, and the shaft H and bear- The adjustment The wheels or supports J J may be driven at the same or varying or at different speeds, as required. r

In Fig. 6 I have shown the peripheries of 1 the wheels or supports J provided with pins N to housed in place of the clamps N, (shown modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a textile fabric stretching machine, the combination of two adjustable standards having journal bearings, two Wheels or cylinders j ournaled in said standards and having their peripheries provided with a series of fabric holding devices, a rotating power shaft j ournaled in fixed bearings and extending through the two wheels and journal bearings of the standards, a base for supporting the said fixed bearings, and adjustable connections between the power shaft and wheels or cylinders supporting the fabric holding devices, whereby the latter may be driven from the power shaft and be maintained at an angle to each other.

2. In a textile fabric stretching machine, the combination of two adjustable standards having journal bearings, two wheels or cylinders j ournaled in said standards and having their peripheries provided with a series of fabric holding devices, a rotating power shaft journaled. in fixed bearings and extending through the two wheels and journal bearings of the standards, a base for supporting the said fixedbearings, adjustable connections between the-power shaft and wheels or cylinders supporting the fabric holding devices, whereby the latter may be driven from the power shaft and be maintained at an angle to each other, and devices for adjusting the adj ustable standards to or from each other.

3. In a textile stretching machine, the combination of two adjustable standards having journal bearings, two wheels j ournaled in said standards and having their peripheries formed with fiat cylindrical surfaces, a rotating power shaft j ournaled in fixed bearings and extending through the two wheels and journal bearings of the standards, a base for supporting said fixed bearings, adjustable connections between the power shaft and wheels, a series of pivoted fabric clamps each pivoted to the said wheels at a point within the peripheries formed by the fiat cylindrical surfaces and having a clamping edge adapted to work in connection with said fiat cylindrical surfaces beyond the pivot points, springs to force said clamps down upon the fabric, and cam devices to open said clamps at stated intervals, the construction of the said clamp being such that pulling upon the fabric in the stretching operation tends to move'the clamping edge along the cylindrical surface and increase the holding or biting action.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

WM. -G. MAOKINNEY.

Witnesses: 1

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, H. L. MOTHERWELL. 

